From: Ant McWatt (antmcwatt@hotmail.co.uk)
Date: Thu Mar 31 2005 - 16:26:53 BST
Marsha stated March 30th 2005:
I was listening to C-SPAN on satellite radio. It was the call-in portion of
the show. A woman called to say that she was a Republican and had been
brought up on biblical values. She asked, "Where am I to get my values if
not from the Bible?" She could think of no other source. I find that very
disturbing.
Steve asked Marsha March 30th “Why is this disturbing to you?
Marsha replied March 30th:
>Why are we not seeing the world with a new perspective? Why are we
>clinging to a religion that was created two thousand years ago for a
>different people? Why is the U.S. wanting to return to teaching the
>Biblical "Creation Theory"? Why are people still discussing God as if he
>thought like humans, and has kidneys, lungs and a liver? Why is the U.S.
>politics allowed to use religion to get votes? Why aren't we discussing
>the implications of Quantum Theory? Where is there a discussion of
>Quality?
Chin stated January 14th 2005:
This also fits in with what I call the “Null Hypothesis”. In short, it means
“Don't buy it.” I believe rhetoric is a gift, and gifted individuals can
make the unbelievable believable, or change an opinion without valid,
supportive content. In other words, I believe the mind too easily
manipulated. I feel this in science, philosophy, and the interpretations of
the Bible by those who have a predetermined outcome in mind before the data,
reason, or interpretations are applied.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Ant McWatt noted January 17th 2005:
Chin,
The “Null Hypothesis” test makes a lot of sense to me (regards thought
manipulation) and came to mind while I was recently watching a TV
documentary (titled “Messiah”) concerning an hypnotist (Derren Brown) who
convinced five leading proponents/professionals of various popular beliefs
that he was someone with special powers. Even though, Brown certainly
hasn’t got any special powers, not one of these proponents questioned
whether he was genuine. As Brown wondered, there are probably quite a few
people in the various cults saying that they have supernatural powers but
are [actually] frauds (even if they are gifted as Brown is in hypnotism or
other trickery). If the leaders that Brown met didn’t seem too sceptical of
him, it does make you wonder who else is getting through….
As Brown noted, religious congregations generate high energy crowd activity
or candle-lit monotony which tend to invoke a suggestible state in people
that can be exploited.
Ant McWatt further comments March 31st:
And the latter practice of Christians congregating in crowds which leaves
people vulnerable to suggestible states (i.e. brainwashing) is one of the
reasons I find organised religion highly disturbing. For instance, why is a
service/mass a one way (static) inculcation by a preacher/priest to the
congregation of a set of pre-set doctrine rather than a Dynamic debate (open
to contributions from all) about morals, global problems, the implications
of Quantum Theory or how a section of the Bible should be understood? This
lack of critical intellectual development and debate is how you treat very
young children not mature adults.
Such protectionist policies of organised churches and their ideas about
creation theory, gay rights, women and contraception etc are retarding the
evolutionary development of human beings and undermining our general quality
of life. It therefore seems impossible to me in how these policies can be
reconciled with the MOQ. Hence, my original question to Sam.
Best wishes,
Anthony
P.S. A note to Khaled Alkotob. Carl Sagan’s “Cosmos” TV series had me
entranced when I was a kid. Far more interesting than attending church!
_________________________________________________________________
Want to block unwanted pop-ups? Download the free MSN Toolbar now!
http://toolbar.msn.co.uk/
MOQ.ORG - http://www.moq.org
Mail Archives:
Aug '98 - Oct '02 - http://alt.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/
Nov '02 Onward - http://www.venus.co.uk/hypermail/moq_discuss/summary.html
MD Queries - horse@darkstar.uk.net
To unsubscribe from moq_discuss follow the instructions at:
http://www.moq.org/md/subscribe.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Thu Mar 31 2005 - 16:39:15 BST